Computer Science

At Hillcrest we have very high expectations of our students. Great emphasis is placed on hard work, achievement and high standards of behaviour.

COMPUTER SCIENCE

KEY STAGE 3 CURRICULUM

Students follow an enriching, balanced curriculum at Key Stage 3, which is rooted in the National Curriculum for Computing. We aim to give students a broad education that encourages creativity and equips them with the knowledge and skills to thrive in an increasingly digital world.

The core of computing is computer science, in which pupils are taught the principles of information and computation, how digital systems work and how to put his knowledge to use through programming. Building on this knowledge and understanding pupils are equipped to use information technology to create programs, systems and a range of content. Computing also ensures that pupils become digitally literate – able to use and express themselves and develop their ideas through information and communication technology. Computational thinking is core to the program, it allows student to tackle problems, to break them down into solvable chunks and devise algorithms to solve them.

Year 7

Term 1

Students will be introduced to the school network and online learning packages. They will be able to explain how a network works, its advantages and disadvantages. Students will understand how computer networks can provide multiple services, such as the world wide web and how computer networks provide opportunities for communication. They will learn to organise and save their work using appropriate directory structures.

Term 2

Students will understand a range of ways to use technology safely, respectfully, responsibly and learn how to report concerns about online behaviour. Baseline testing will
be completed to assess prior knowledge of the computing curriculum.

Term 3

Using a visual programming language student will investigate the concepts of computational thinking, they will recognise that algorithms are implemented as programs
on digital devices and that programs execute by following precise and unambiguous instructions. They will debug simple programs and use logical reasoning to predict the
behaviour of simple programs.

Year 8

Term 1

Students will be introduced to the school network and online learning packages. They will be able to explain how a network works, its advantages and disadvantages. Students will understand how computer networks can provide multiple services, such as the world wide web and how computer networks provide opportunities for communication. They will learn to organise and save their work using appropriate directory structures.

Term 2

Students will learn how to use a second textual programming language to solve a computational problem; they will make appropriate use of data structures and understand
simple Boolean logic and its uses in programming. Students will be encouraged to create, re-use and re-purpose digital artefacts for a given audience with attention to trustworthiness, design and usability.

Term 3

Using a visual programming language student will investigate the concepts of computational thinking, they will recognise that algorithms are implemented as programs
on digital devices and that programs execute by following precise and unambiguous instructions. They will debug simple programs and use logical reasoning to predict the
behaviour of simple programs.

Introduces students to the central processing unit (CPU), computer memory and storage, wired and wireless networks, network topologies, system security and system software. It also looks at ethical, legal, cultural and environmental concerns associated with computer science.

Students use OCR Programming Project tasks to develop their practical ability in the skills developed in components 01 and 02. They will have the opportunity to define success criteria from a given problem, and then create suitable algorithms to achieve the success criteria. Students then code their solutions in a suitable programming language and check its functionality using a suitable and documented test plan. Finally, they will evaluate the success of their solution and reflect on potential developments for the future.

Students will be offered 20 hours timetabled time to complete their Programming Project. The Programming Project does not count towards the final grade but is a requirement of the course

Assessment Details

The assessment for Computing will take place in 2 examinations and 1 controlled assessment at the end of Year 11.

The course provides excellent preparation for higher study and employment in the field of Computer Science. The increasing importance of information technologies means there will be a growing demand for professionals who are qualified in this area. Students who have taken a GCSE in Computing and who then progress to study the subject at A-Level or university will have an advantage over their peers who are picking up the subject at these levels.

1 week ago
Rags to Riches....donations need to be in school by 10am on Monday 25th March. Donation bags will be provided during the first 2 weeks of March. Please have a look through your unwanted but usable clothes during the half term ready to donate and bag up. https://t.co/apbJZ3bhWe

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